Beauty Routine Updates!

I have tried out a few different beauty products and I wanted to share them all with you!

Have you heard of The Small Things Blog? If you haven't seen this lady's hairstyles pinned all over Pinterest or if you don't read her blog, my dearies you are missing out!

She recently wrote up a post comparing different eyeliners and even made a video showing how to apply gel eyeliner. I am a creature of habit and while I love my eye pencil, the effect I wanted wasn't lasting all day. It would slowly fade away...

So after reading Kate's blog post, I decided to try out gel eyeliner. I went to my tried and true, cost-effective brand so I don't feel guilty blowing money if it doesn't turn out the way I like: e.l.f. makeup. 

e.l.f. Studio Cream Eyeliner

I found it at Target for $3, it came with the small angled brush shown in the picture. I decided on the appropriately named color, Coffee. 

I was VERY impressed with how this liner turned out: it applied easily, there was no fading throughout the day, and it didn't rub off my lower lid either. I was wary at first about applying it, its always a challenge to maintain a steady hand with a toddler running around distracting me. But I followed Kate's video instructions and had no problems!

This is definitely my new "go to" eyeliner.  

Also on The Small Things Blog (see I told you, lots of good tips!) she talked about her "Raspberry Love" and lipcolor. I am usually too afraid to do a colored lip, but I came across a great gloss and I decided it was time to take the plunge. 

Neutrogena MoistureShine Gloss in Berry Fit

I ended up getting this on sale (and with a coupon) at Walgreens so once again, I didn't feel as bad "wasting" money if I didn't like how the color turned out. 

I loved the color and liked the gloss. It was not sticky or goopey, it applied very smoothly and the color is a very nice berry against my pale skin. Not too vampy or anything like that. I like the spring time feel I get when I wear it, I am so ready for warmer weather! Now of course since this is a gloss the color doesn't last very long so it requires reapplication throughout the day.

Showing off my berry colored lips!

 Thanks Kate for the good tips!

There is one last beauty related tip I want to share for wintery, dry weather skin!

My legs have been extremely dry lately, to the point that they itch. I read a trick online where you combine a little bit of baby oil GEL with your normal lotion and then apply it right after a shower. I had no idea they made a baby oil gel, so I was curious to try this out.

So every day immediately after getting out of the shower, I just mix a dime sized amount of the gel with my usual smell good lotion from BBW in the palm of my hand then apply. This has worked out very well for me, my legs are much smoother for longer now. And the best part? I don't get that uncomfortable itchy pulling of dry skin between applications anymore. 

Johnson's Baby Oil Gel

Right now if you want a good deal on this baby oil gel, head over to Target this week (2/17-2/24). Check out Target Savers for more deals like this!

Johnson’s Baby Oil Gel $2.99 – $3.49 (Regular Price) -$1/1 Johnson’s Baby Item 4oz+ Target Baby Mobile Coupon (Text BABY4 to 827438) x2/23 -$1/1 JOHNSON’S® Baby Oil (excl 1-4 oz) = .99 each after stack

 
For only $0.99, it won't hurt the pocketbook to try it out! Unless of course you are one of those people that go into Target for one thing and come out with 5 bags full of stuff...
 
 
 

Extreme Couponing?

If you follow me on Facebook, then you know I like to share deals. I was talking with a friend last week and she told us that when she goes to the commissary, she spends about $50 every two weeks by couponing. I am pretty sure my jaw dropped because I could not fathom how she feeds a family of 3 for that little. She started explaining how she coupons, she even had a small audience of other ladies asking questions. She directed us to this blog, The Krazy Coupon Lady, and told us to read the beginners guide. 

Now I have been couponing, but it hasn't been very extreme. I clip coupons from the Sunday paper and print them from the internet, but only for items (and brands) I use. Then I just made sure to use the coupons at the commissary before they expired. I would save as much as $20 a visit, but I was still spending at least $200 for my family of 3. 

Apparently I am doing it wrong. 

So I read through the beginners guide, made my binder, and printed out my shopping lists. My first stop was Walgreens. I went on Monday, I spent $24 but I saved 48%. My mind was blown. Just by using coupons on sale items, I came out with some amazing deals. And it was deals on stuff that I use! I ended up with 3 Digiorno pizzas, 2 creamers, laundry detergent, 2 18 packs of hair ties, 2 containers of almonds, 2 packages of turkey bacon, and 3 12 packs of soda.

Today I ventured out super early to Farm Fresh with my couponing jedi-master because on Wednesdays they double coupons up to $1.00. I had my grocery list of match-ups and my binder in tow. We spent about an hour there, I spent $38 and saved 44%! She did better than I did, she saved over 50%. She even shared a few of her coupons with me :)  I was pretty excited because I walked away with a few free items, I had no clue you could actually legitimately get groceries for free! 

I don't plan on becoming one of those extreme couponers. I don't have room in this rental to have a massive stockpile. I am specific on certain items I will use. For example, I will not compromise on my toilet paper or cat litter. I am brand loyal on those. Also certain cleaning supplies. But I am also having a more open mind about certain items. I still want to eat healthy, but having frozen pizzas or hamburger helper around for those nights when you get home and have like no time to make dinner. So instead of spending the money on fast food, I have options at home. 

One of the things I have learned is you have to shop at different stores to get the most out of your coupon matchups. I am lucky, I am a stay at home mother and my daughter has no problem hopping in & out of the car at 3 different stores. I have the time to shop at 2 or 3 different places in a week. All the stores are in close proximity so its not like I'm spending that much extra money on gas. I know alot of people don't have the opportunity to go to multiple stores each week. They have jobs, a busy schedule with their kids, etc. Since I am in the position to shop around, I owe it to my savings account to do it!

My plan for the money we save is......umm well, save it. We will be getting out of the military in 1 year, 3 months, and 8 days (not that I'm counting at all) and who knows where we will be. While we do have some money put away, it would be nice to keep adding to that fund. I am going to keep a spreadsheet throughout the year so I can see how much I've saved!

If you are interested in couponing, definitely check out the beginners guide over at The Krazy Coupon Lady. She has lots of tips, videos, and free downloads to make your own binder. 
 

 
 

DIY Cupcake Stand

The first item on my DIY list for Little Miss's 3rd birthday party was a cupcake stand. Last year, we bought one of those cheap cardboard cupcake stands that matched all of the Elmo supplies we bought at the party store. Considering the price, it really was a piece of crap. It barely held all the cupcakes and it was flimsy. When I decided to serve cupcakes again this year, I decided I was going to make my own cupcake stand.

I wanted to make a cupcake stand that I would be able to re-use and personalize for whatever occasion needed. Since we are going with a "Royal Tea Party" theme for the birthday party, I decorated the cupcake stand accordingly.

Its perfect for a little princess's birthday tea party!

I bought all of supplies at Michael's: 

Wilton Round Silver Cake Base 10in., 2 pack
Wilton Round Silver Cake Base 12in., 2 pack
Ribbon, 1in. wide
Tulle Fabric Bolt
3 Flower pots, 2.5 in.
4 Plastic Solo cups
Silver metallic spray-paint
Hot glue


First I spray painted the 3 flower pots and 4 plastic cups with the silver metallic spray-paint.

Next I simply glued the ribbon to the edge of the cake bases, except on the bottom base I glued the tulle down first then topped off with a ribbon. For the tulle, I glued then gathered, glued then gathered. Be prepared for hot glue on your fingers! The key is to allow a few moments for the glue to set before moving onto the next set of gathers. Otherwise you end up with hot glue & tulle all over in the wrong places.

For each base, I measured to find the exact center. Then I used hot glue to attach the flower pots to the bases. 

After waiting for all the glue to set, I glued the bottom base onto the 4 plastic cups.

Pretty simple, huh?

The only thing that I was unappeased about was how the hot glue did not dry clear on the flower pots, it looks yellowish to me. But I know once all of the cupcakes are on the tiers no one will be able to see that minor imperfection :)

You can use a variety of things to space the tiers instead of flowers pots. I almost used plain, wooden candle sticks but I wanted something wider. I found cute, plastic containers but they weren't as tall as I wanted. 

I spent a little more money on the cake bases because these are thick, sturdy, and wipe-able. They are also grease resistant and food-safe!

This will be the perfect cupcake stand for the birthday party, my aim is to have cupcakes on the bottom 3 tiers and place a small cake on the top tier!
 
 

Ready for Sweater Weather!

I am officially ready for cooler weather! I was going through my closet and looking around online to determine my fall wardrobe. All the stores at the mall are starting to have huge sales, I scored some amazing pieces at Express to work into my fall looks! Of course I have my favorites from last season: 

Tall boots: They go perfect over straight or skinny leg jeans, with skirts & dresses!

 

A cardigan with a belt! 

 If you are having a fat day, wearing this combo won't make you feel like you are saying "Hey look at my tummy poking out" plus the skinny belt accentuates the smallest part of your midsection: your waist! You can dress this look up or down, wear with jeans or a skirt!

 

I love sweater dresses, I have like 3 of them! I can dress up or down in these, add cute patterned stockings & statement jewelry! You can pair this one with that skinny belt or even a wider belt. Or go for a dress with a different cut, like empire waist if you are self-conscious about your midsection.  

 

Lastly, a ladies inspired blazer! I love how it can be thrown over a white tee and jeans (like the pic). I like to dress it up by throwing it over a dress or wearing with a sparkly top underneath. I personally like the longer blazers that hit below the hips, I think it makes for an elongating and slimming effect. 

And of course a MUST have is a basic long sleeved tee. They go with anything, pair with skirts or any color jeans. Wear them under cardigans or any sort of jacket. Also great to wear as layering pieces. I like this tee especially because of the light cotton material, the extra long sleeves, and the detail around the neck so it isn't just a plain boring tee. I love tucking these into skirts like in the photo too!

 

What I like best about all these pieces: it doesn't matter what your size or shape is, you can make each one work! If you don't like skinny jeans, go for a straight leg cut! Just make sure they fit, baggy jeans don't flatter at all! If you are small chested like myself, you can wear a blazer with wider lapels or a sweater dress with ruffle detail along the neckline. If you were blessed with a larger bust and hips, the belted styles will definitely help accentuate your amazing curves! Don't let style intimidate you because you see it on stick thin models, you can make it work for you. 

 

I have a few pieces I am dying to try out too, the weather just needs to cooperate so I am not sweaty mess!

I found a pair of AMAZING high waist jeans! Yup, I want to rock the mom jeans. Pros: no worries about muffin top! I found this pair on clearance for $20 at The Limited. Those of you that know me, I have a minor addiction to that store but I never buy anything at full price! They have stellar sales and functional, quality clothing. Anyways, these jeans are a cotton stretch blend so they aren't undesirably clingy on my tummy. Plus they have the flare at the bottom that balances out the way these pants accentuate my hips. I plan on pairing these with this top I bought on super sale from Express:

 

 This is what I would consider to be a thin sweater tee, but it has these cute ruffle sleeves! It looks super cute tucked into the high waist jeans. And guess what? When it gets even cooler out, I can pair this outfit with a long open cardigan, score!

I have been searching for a while now to find the perfect loose style top that didn't make me look like I was 10 sizes bigger than I actually am. I figured it was a lost cause, I mean how can a baggy shirt make you look skinny? Well I think I finally found my answer with this dolman sleeved sweater from Express (on sale of course!). I like how it is fitted from the waist down to the hips, instead of just at the hips with other shirts like this I have seen. When it gets even cooler outside, I can even put a fitted long sleeved tee underneath. 

I may not be able to wear this skirt much, but I am the MOST excited about this piece. Its a bright coral color underneath the black flowery lace. I am planning on pairing it with a simple black tee (any sleeve length) tucked it, maybe with stockings (no crazy pattern though, it would make the outfit too busy perhaps solid lines?) and black boots or flats. I'll have to work with it, I love the skirt but I don't want to wear too much black if there is such a thing!

 

 

 

 Okay there is one thing I have been wanting to purchase since last season and I am officially on the lookout for a cute leather jacket at a good price:

I absolutely LOVE how they mix this leather jacket with feminine pieces. This outfit would even look great if you swapped out the skirt with jeans, dark wash or even a gray color! I would wear the leather jacket with feminine flowing tops, with lots of color or floral pattern, stripes would look great too. So many options...

 

 

What are you most excited about wearing this fall? 

 

 

 

 

Do It Cheaper! My Hairstyle on a Budget

Does anyone else get stupidly excited whenever they manage to save money? Yup, I am one of those people! My latest feat: I usually spend around $120 on my haircut & color every 2 months. This time, I managed to do it for only $46! I am grinning ear to ear right now just thinking about how much money I saved :D

Back in the day before I had much money to spend on my hair, my mom used to color my hair at home. For some reason, I forgot how awesome she was at it! So when she was in town recently, we made a trip to Sally's Beauty Supply and picked up some hair color. We went with Clairol Professional Liquicolor in Lightest Gold Neutral Blonde 10GN/12G2. I was very impressed with the sales person, she made sure we had all the supplies we needed to color at home (gloves, bottle for the haircolor) and even gave us some helpful tips. It was super easy to do especially with my mom here. The smell was rather strong though. My hair turned out PERFECT! It was slightly more red than the box said but I knew that was going to happen, my hair tends to pull red. And that is my only word of caution about coloring your hair at home: be aware the end result may be different than the box depending on your hair. I am not a salon professional nor do I pretend to be, so if you try this at home and your hair turns pink or something please don't blame me I warned you! I think I ended up with a good result because I wasn't trying to lighten my hair too much or do a drastic change, I just wanted to blend in the roots. Anyways, the haircolor and supplies cost me $16 with my Beauty Club Card. As for the haircut, I got lucky! A few months back, I had boudoir photos done (check out her blog http://www.lamiabellablog.com/ she is amazing!) and as part of the photo package, we had someone do our hair and makeup. The hair stylist was super nice and I found out she cut hair here in Virginia Beach. So I went to see her where she worked (check out her fb page https://www.facebook.com/im.your.hairstylist) and paid $30 for a great haircut, including tip! 


Another thing about coloring your hair at home, make sure you have a good conditioner (NOT Suave!) and possibly a deep conditioning treatment if your hair is on the drier side already. Coloring my hair at home made my hair dryer than usual, so I picked up some Biolage shampoo/conditioner at the suggestion of my stylist. It wasn't pricey, you can get Biolage at Target or Walgreens or Supercuts. 


I know its nice to go to a salon and get pampered, spend some time away from the craziness at home. So I am not bashing or trying to turn people away from the salon experience. If that is how you want to spend your money, then by all means do it and spoil yourself! Everyone deserves to be pampered. For right now, there are other things I'd rather budget my money for (ahem, Christmas is coming up!).